Future opportunity

Water and Environment Worker (WEW) Apprenticeship training

  • Defra Network eTendering Portal

F01: Prior information notice (prior information only)

Notice reference: 2022/S 000-025601

Published 13 September 2022, 10:15am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Defra Network eTendering Portal

17 Nobel House

London

SW1P 3JR

Email

DGCEnquiries@defra.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 2072385921

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency

one.3) Communication

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

National or federal Agency/Office

one.5) Main activity

Environment


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Water and Environment Worker (WEW) Apprenticeship training

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 80000000 - Education and training services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The Environment Agency is retendering the delivery of its Water Environment Worker apprenticeship scheme.

We wish to engage, collaborate and work in partnership with suppliers who share our values and ambition to create a better place to work, where sustainability and equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of what we do and how we work.

We need to be bold, innovative and agile to enable us to effectively respond to the climate crisis and provide our teams with the skills they need to respond to incidents and maintain our assets. We need to adapt post-pandemic to embrace hybrid working and explore innovative ways of learning to support the diverse needs of our people as we work in new ways.

The Apprenticeship will be delivered to the apprenticeship standard Water environment worker / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

We require equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded throughout with sustainable approaches to accommodate hybrid working. 

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £9,000,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 79632000 - Personnel-training services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom
Main site or place of performance

Delivery must be National

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

To equip our staff with the core skills they require to build confidence to carry out their roles in operating and maintaining Environment Agency assets and in responding to both environmental and flooding incidents. All training to be provided to meet the apprenticeship standard Water environment worker / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

The standard requires apprentices to have mandatory qualifications. The contract will include the requirement to provide this mandatory training. This could be provided by the supplier or via a subcontracted supplier.

We expect to need to train 150-200 apprentices each per year, in the first 2 years of the contract, reducing to 100-120 apprentices per year in the following years.

We are keen to engage with new entrants to this apprenticeship and work collaboratively to look for innovative and sustainable ways to deliver the contract.

All interventions should enable staff to work inclusively with access to different learning approaches and Equality, diversity and inclusion requirements integrated throughout. The Environment Agency has a strategy to achieve net zero carbon by 2030 and we expect our suppliers to support us in this ambition and provide solutions to deliver whilst reducing carbon emissions.

two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice

16 January 2023


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No